4.  The applicant was born in 1967 and lives in Celje.
5.  On 15 September 1995 the applicant was taken into police custody on suspicion of committing “extortion and blackmail” and “causing a public danger”.
6.  On 17 September 1995 the applicant was brought before an investigating judge of the Celje District Court (Okrožno sodišče v Celju), who opened a judicial investigation against him and remanded him in pre-trial detention.
7.  During the judicial investigation proceedings, it was reported in several newspaper articles that the applicant had committed a number of criminal acts.
8.  The judicial investigation against the applicant was discontinued on 2 October 1995 for lack of evidence and the applicant was released on that day.
9.  On an unspecified date, and in accordance with the Criminal Procedure Act, the applicant lodged a request with the Ministry of Justice for compensation in respect of the damage sustained. On 30 October 1996 the Ministry offered to pay the applicant 75,000 Slovenian tolars (SIT – approximately 310 euros (EUR)), which the applicant did not accept.
10.  On 16 October 1996 the applicant instituted civil proceedings against the Ministry of Justice and the Ministry of the Interior in the Celje District Court seeking compensation in the amount of SIT 4,000,000 (approximately EUR 16,500) for non-pecuniary damage. He also requested to be exempted from payment of court fees.
11.  On 2 February 1999 the court held a hearing.
12.  In addition, on 6 July 2000 the applicant was arrested on charges of drug trafficking. He remained in pre-trial detention until 26 September 2000 when the Celje District Court found him guilty as charged.
13.  A hearing in the civil proceedings scheduled for 28 September 2000 had to be postponed because of the applicant's detention. Subsequently, a hearing was held on 5 December 2000.
14.  As regards the criminal proceedings, on 10 April 2001 the Celje Higher Court (Višje sodišče v Celju) allowed the applicant's appeal against the first-instance court's judgment and remitted the case for re-examination. On 9 October 2001 the applicant was acquitted. On an appeal by the public prosecutor, the judgment was upheld by the Celje Higher Court on 9 April 2002.
15.  Moreover, in 2000 and 2001, the applicant was accused of drug trafficking in two other sets of criminal proceedings. The proceedings were discontinued as the public prosecutor withdrew the bills of indictment.
16.  On 10 June 2002 the applicant filed written submissions in the civil proceedings which he had instituted on 16 October 1996 before the Celje District Court and increased the amount of his compensation claim.
17.  The court held a hearing on 15 October 2002. The applicant did not appear at that hearing.
18.  On 15 November 2002, after a hearing, the Celje District Court handed down a judgment in which it awarded the applicant SIT 1,500,000 (approximately EUR 6,250). Both parties appealed.
19.  On 11 November 2004 the Celje Higher Court allowed the defendant's appeal and reduced the amount of the award to SIT 1,200,000 (approximately EUR 5,000). That judgment became final.
20.  On 2 July 1999 the Krško Public Prosecutor's Office requested the Krško District Court (Okrožno sodišče v Krškem) to open a criminal investigation against the applicant and two other individuals for drug trafficking.
21.  According to the Government, the applicant was not available to the prosecuting authorities during the investigation stage, although he had promised the police in a telephone conversation that he would report for questioning. In addition he had not accepted the summons – substitute notification had thus been served on 28 July 1999. The investigating judge issued two orders for the applicant to appear before the court, but to no avail.
22.  On 4 November 1999 the Krško Public Prosecutor's Office indicted the applicant and two other individuals in the Krško District Court, accusing the applicant of drug trafficking.
23.  On 30 September 1999 the court ordered the applicant's arrest and issued an arrest warrant.
24.  At a hearing held on 11 November 1999, the applicant's proceedings were separated and transferred to the Celje District Court. However, they were eventually transferred back to the Krško District Court. In addition, the proceedings directed against the other two individuals were joined to the applicant's proceedings.
25.  On 6 July 2000 the applicant was arrested and taken into police custody.
26.  The court held hearings on 12 July, 6 September, 18 October, 15 November and 7 December 2000.
27.  On 8 December 2000 the court pronounced a judgment finding the applicant guilty and sentencing him to four years' imprisonment. The court ordered that the applicant remain in detention until he started serving his sentence.
28.  The applicant appealed to the Ljubljana Higher Court (Višje sodišče v Ljubljani). The court allowed the appeal on 11 April 2001 and remitted the case to the first-instance court for re-examination. The court also ordered the applicant's release.
29.  A hearing was scheduled for 1 September 2003 but later postponed since one of the accused could not be summoned. Hearings scheduled for 15 April and 26 May 2005 were also postponed.
30.  The court held hearings on 17 June, 8 September and 27 September 2005.
31.  Another hearing scheduled for 27 October 2005 was adjourned because two defendants did not appear. Further hearings were then held on 8 December 2005 and 24 January 2006.
32.  After a hearing on 9 March 2006, the court handed down a judgment in which it acquitted all three defendants.
33.  The public prosecutor lodged an appeal.
34.  The proceedings are pending before the Ljubljana Higher Court.